One of the rarest watches of all time fetches whopping sum at auction

If you're looking to own a piece of horological history, then it's going to cost you. The latest example of this is a stunning Patek Philippe watch, reference No. 2499, that sold for $2.5 million at an auction in Hong Kong on May 31.

After 30 minutes of frantic bidding, an unknown bidder walked away with the watch to the sound of applause from the crowd.

A post shared by Phillips Watches (@phillipswatches) on May 31, 2016 at 4:17am PDT

Called "one of the most sought-after vintage wristwatches of all time" by the auction house Phillips, the timepiece has a stunning design. Only 349 examples of the 2499 were made, starting in 1951 and ending in 1988.

This watch is one of only six known models to be cased in pink gold, which is completely unpolished and unmarred. This particular example was made in 1968 and is the second-oldest of those six.

See photos of the record-breaking pink diamond recently sold for $31.5M:

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Rare pink diamond sold at Sotheby's auction

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One of the rarest watches of all time fetches whopping sum at auction

An assistant poses with a 15.38 carat vivid pink diamond at Sotheby's auction house in London, Britain April 7, 2016. REUTERS/Neil Hall

An assistant poses with a 15.38 carat vivid pink diamond at Sotheby's auction house in London, Britain April 7, 2016. REUTERS/Neil Hall

A model poses with "The Unique Pink" diamond mounted during a preview at Sotheby's auction house in Geneva, Switzerland May 9, 2016. The supremely rare and exceptional Fancy Vivid Pink diamond, weighting 15.38 carats, is estimated to sell for US $ 28 to 38 million, when auctioned during the Magnificent Jewels and Noble Jewels auction in Geneva on May 17. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse

A model poses with the "Unique Pink", a 15.38 carats vivid pink diamond, at Sotheby's auction house in Geneva, Switzerland May 9, 2016. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse/File Photo

A model poses with "The Unique Pink" diamond mounted during a preview at Sotheby's auction house in Geneva, Switzerland May 9, 2016. The supremely rare and exceptional Fancy Vivid Pink diamond, weighting 15.38 carats, is estimated to sell for US $ 28 to 38 million, when auctioned during the Magnificent Jewels and Noble Jewels auction in Geneva on May 17. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse

A model poses with "The Unique Pink" diamond mounted during a preview at Sotheby's auction house in Geneva, Switzerland May 9, 2016. The supremely rare and exceptional Fancy Vivid Pink diamond, weighting 15.38 carats, is estimated to sell for US $ 28 to 38 million, when auctioned during the Magnificent Jewels and Noble Jewels auction in Geneva on May 17. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse

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The dial is a hard enamel, and it's ivory in color because of the watch's age. Phillips calls it "possibly unique" because of its "flat" dial, which is missing the semi-circle indentation to complete the moon-phase complication.

No other watch of this exact model has a dial like this one, and this detail likely had a lot to do with the final auction price.

This particular example hasn't been seen on the auction block in 13 years, when it sold for close to 1 million Swiss francs.

Claim to fame: Infused with five grams of 24-karat gold, topped with a La Madeline au Truffle that's flowin in from France, served with an 18-karat gold bracelet bedazzled with 1-carat of white diamonds and a golden spoon